Bore hole directional apparatus and method of orientation



Nov. 3, I931. A. ANDERSON 1,830,345

BQRE HOLE DIRECTIONAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ORIENAQTION Original Filed Aug. 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheer. 1

H! v 0 J12 H lllllllll A. ANDERSON Nov. 3, 193 1.

BORE HOLE DIRECTIONAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ORIENTATION Original Filed Aug. 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheer 2 gwuentoc u lexanlhr Jndersow,

Parana-e N... 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALEXANDER ANDERSON, OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA BORE HOLE DIRECTIONAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ORIENTATION Original application filed August 15, 1924, Serial No.-732,145. Divided and this application filed Inn: 8,

1930. Serial No. 459,075.

This invention relates generall ratus and process for surveying bore holes, and this application is a division of applications. N. 732,145, filed August 15,1924, 3 Patent No. 1,770,224 granted July 8,

The survey'of an bore hole is completed 'when the bore hole is divided into a suitable number of successive parts, and the length, 101 inclination, and direction of inclination of each'part is determined and known. The present invention may be used in connection with any known type of bore hole surveying apparatus which is adapted to be run into the w bore hole, attached to a line of pipe or rods, the use of which requires'knowledge of the orientation of the line of pipe as it is passed into the bore hole. The invention may also be used in conjunction with impression blocks, deflecting wedges, and any-other tools operating in the bore hole. Thus where a tool has been broken in a bore, an oriented impression may be obtained and the fishing tool may be accurately run in on a known orientation so as to'slide exactly over and fit the broken tool.

One object of this invention is to provide new and improved methods and apparatus for accurately and rapidly determining the orientation of, or for accurately and quickly orienting a line 'of pipe or rods as it is passed into the hole for theabove purpose. Another object of the invention is to determine the orientation of the tool or other body already within the bore hole. Another object is properly to place in oriented relation with a tool or other bodyalready in the hole, a second tool, impression block or other part. Other objects .will appear-from time to time throughout the speci cation and claims.

My invention s illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I I

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation of a derrick with a stand of pipe in position at the time of starting to carrv out a. survey, a survey apparatus attached to the lower end and with a sighting device attached near the top of the stand and a'scale member in position on the derrick floor.

to appa- 2 is a side elevation in part similar to F 1g. 1 showing a later stage in the surveying operation, with a second sighting device in position on the pipe.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2, and showing a plan view of the derrick floor and the scale member located thereon.

Fig 4. is a plan view of a clamping member and a sighting device supported thereby.

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig, 4.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout.

A is a derrick supporting the line A' by means of which the pipe B may be lowered into the bore. B is a stand of pipe about to be I lowered into the bore. C is a surveying tool fixed on the lower end of the stand of pipe. This device. is not described'in detail here because its details form no part of the resent invention. D indicates the lining of t e bore hole. 0 is a sighting device fastened on the pipe by means of a clamping member which will be described later.

Q is a clearly defined object visible from the position of the sighting device in the v upper part of the derrick. Q and Q are stakes located in the vertical plane of direction between the sighting device 0 and theob'ect Q. v

12 ,is a scale member, positioned on the floor of the derrick A and having measuring marks located in known relation to thechosen plane of direction.

As shown particularly in Fi 4 and 5', the claiplping device comprises t ree segments K, and H The segments H and H are hinged to the ends of the segment K at H. At their free ends they are detachabl cured together by a bolt H. This bo t H is mounted in a in H which is pivoted in the segment H he ends of, the segments H,

H areslotted at. H"H respectively to receive'the bolt H. A circular recess H is provided in the segment H, and in this recess a nut H which is located. on the end of the bolt Hf, is received and retained even when it is not fully tightened. The inner surfaces oi the segments are surfaces of a cylinder made to fit around the pipe. Recesses are provided, opposite the hinge H".

The segment K has a bracket K formed on its upper side. A' cylindrical pin K passes through holes in the bracket and is retained by-cotter'pins K K The lower end of a member L is pivoted on the pin K. L is a bolt which has a hemispherical head L which lies within a socket K of the bracket angles to the axis of the pin K K This bolt passes through an enlarged hole L* in the member L. L is a nut on the bolt L and is provided with a hemispherical face L which rests in a socket L adjacent the end of the perforation L in the member L. L is a coiled helical spring positioned between the member L and the bracket K about the bolt L. It is normally kept .under compression between the bracket K is a key way along thetop of the socket N P is a spirit level attached to the top of the socketmember N in a position parallel to the axismember M. small sight-hole centrally located at itsaxis O and a hair 0 passes through the axis near the end of the tube. When the axis member M is horizontal the hair 0 lies in a vertical plane. A longitudinal rib on the exterior ulpper surface of the sighting tube 0 closely ts the key way N of the socket N to revent rotation of the tube in the socket;

11 place of the sighting tube 0 a telescope mi ht be used. 7

though I have shown an operative device, still it will be obvious that 'niany changes might be made in size, shape and are rangement of parts without departing materially from the spirit of my invention; and I wish, therefore, that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

. Where, in the claims and specification I have used the word pipe I mean pipe, rod,

' or other elongated member. My invention is not of course limited to the use of pipe.

For many purposes rods, poles, or other elon-' 6 to beunderstood as referring to any elongatedobject which could be used in the manner herewith described. 7

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Aclearly defined point-or object visible The sighting tube 0 has a from the upper part of the derrick is selected,

for example the telegraph tpole Q. A first stand of pipe B is suspende over the mouth of the bore hole, and then a surveying device, or other tool 0 is rigidly attached to the lower end of the pipe B; The device C and the pipe Bare placed in a known position in azimuth, and a clamp, such as that shown in Fig. 4, is placed about the pipe near the top of the stand. The sight tube 'is pushed into the socket O'of the clamp.

Using the barrel of the sight tube as a lever, the clamp is moved around the pipe until the line of sight falls approximately on the distant object Q. The sight tube is then ad- .justed by means of the nut L until the bubble in the spirit level u on it is exactly at a horizontal position, an the'hair O is in a vertical plane. The line of sight may then ,be. ex-

actly trained on the distant object'and the nut H on the clamp is tightened preferably by a wrench R, thus locking the clamp in position upon the pipe with the sight tube aligned in the chosen plane of directlon.

By rotating the sight tube 0 on the axis member M, the several targets or pickets Q Q are now'spaced apart on the ground on a line with the distant object and in a vertical plane with the hair 0 the line of targets is sufficiently extended to permit at least one to be visible from the derrick floor. The remaining targets are useful because they allowof a choice of oints to sight onwhen parts of the derricl? interfere with direct vision of the original distant object. I

The scale member J is supported upon the derrick floor, and on the side of the derrick which faces in the direction of the sighted objectQ shown in Fi 1. The scale is preferably so positioned t at a substantially midpoint, to be used as the zero point,

will lie in the chosen plane of direction or azimuth. In the operations so far described,

the clamp carryingthe sightin device had been placed upon the upper en of the first stand of pipe, and the clamp rotated about the pipe until the line of sight of the sighting device fell exactly on the distant target Q. The clamp was then secured to the pipe in that selected position. The pipe section with the clamp attached is now lowered until.-

the clamp approaches the derrick floor, or

"about the level'of'the scale board J At V this level a sighting device is againinserted I in the clamp and sighting upon the scale board, a reading is taken, w ich may be either to the right or left of the zero mark and attached device, ad ing anot er section the pipe I means of the scale on the peated with each stand of pipe until the pipe and attached surveying instrument or other tool has been lowered to the desired depth. The algebraic sum of the rotation so measured, (these readings being positive on one side of the zero mark and negative on the other side) that respectively occurred during the lowering of the pipe after the addition thereto of each stand gives the total rotation of the lower end of thepipe. Similarly, the algebraic summation of the appropriate rotations measured will givethe total rotation. at any depth with respect to which that information is desired as a constant record of the rotational position of the pipe and attached apparatus is made by the operations above described.

I claim:

1. In the method of orienting a device at any point in a bore hole within and longitudinally of which the device is moved in stages affixed to a line of pipe, the steps comprising choosing a vertical plane of direc-,

tion which intersects a fixed scale member,

- fixing on the pipe a member aligned in the chosen plane of direction and after move-' ment of the device along the bore, measuring on said fixed scale to determine the change in the rotational relation of the mem- -ber with reference to the chosen plane of direction.

2.- In a method for measuring the rotathrough which the pipe has turned, the steps comprising fixing on the pipe a member aligned in a chosen plane of direction, and

a after movement of the pipe longitudinally predetermined distance, determining the' of the bore in a desired direction through a amount and direction of change in alignment of the member by linear measurements on said'fixed scale.

3. In apparatus for movin an elongated .member. in and along a' bore ole and measuring the amount and direction of rotation of *the'member incident to-such movement,

comprising a derrick structure for support-f ing the member and means for moving the member alon ported, a stationary scale fixed to the derrick structure, an-aligning device adapted to'be [clamped to the said elongated member in a definite rotational position with relation to a'chosen planeof direction and to cooperate with the said scale to determine the amount and direction of rotation of the 4. In apparatus for determiningcthe rotational position of a line of pipe that is moved longitudinally of and within a bore her, for sightin giember incidentto its movement along t he ore.

tation of anelongated member moved longitudinally in a bore hole, the combination of means for supporting the member for longitudinal movement within the bore, and a fixed member with respect to which said elongated member is movable, said fixed member being adapted to measuring rotation ofsaid elongated member incident to its longitudinal movement.

6. In a device for determining exteriorly of the bore the orientation of an elongated member moved by stages lon 'tudinally in a bore hole, a, clamping mem er adapted to be secured 'upon said elongated member against relative rotation with respect thereto, a sighting device, and meansofor supporting said sighting device upon said clamping member for motion of. its axis in a plane parallel to the axis of said elongated memupon a fixed object distant from said e ongated member.

ALEXANDER ANDERSON.

- tion of a pipe that is moved along and within a bore by determining linear measurements -on afixed scale which subtend the angles the bore hole while so su'p- 

